Madame Roulin with Baby (1888)
Oil on Canvas
Modified: 1/12/17 Jenna Palme
Vincent Van Gogh befriended the Roulin family during his stay in Arles. He pained multiple portraits of each member of the family, but no one was painted as much as Madame Roulin and her baby, Marcelle. In the novel, it's mentioned how caring Van Gogh is towards baby Marcelle and what a good father he would be if he settled down to have children. The positioning of the baby makes it seem as if Marcelle herself is posing for Van Gogh. The thick, visible brush strokes take give the painting an impressionist look. The use of contrasting colors, like the yellow and green, is a signature of Van Gogh as that technique can be seen in many of his works. The focus is on Marcelle and Madame Roulin is just a part of the background, essentially blending in with her surroundings. Marcelle in white is the first thing the viewer sees when they spot this painting. This work is mentioned in the novel as Rachel sees Van Gogh's paintings of the mother with her daughter and is reminded of her traumatic experience with a past pregnancy. This work is currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art along with some of his other pieces.
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